Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging European countries to increase their defense spending to meet the 5% of GDP target set by the US. In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelensky criticized some European nations for not taking the threat from Russia seriously enough and called on them to take responsibility for their own defense.
Zelensky’s demand comes after US President Donald Trump announced that he would increase the NATO target for defense spending from 2% of GDP to 5%. This move has sparked concerns among European leaders, who are struggling with slow economic growth.
Zelensky is trying to position himself as a key player in negotiations with Russia and aims to secure a peace deal. However, his comments have also raised questions about the role of Europe in future conflicts. Ukrainian President Zelensky told the audience that “Europe needs to learn how to fully take care of itself” so that it can’t be ignored.
The move is seen as a strategic play by Zelensky to curry favor with Trump and shape US policy on Ukraine. However, his words also carry a warning: if Europe doesn’t step up its defense spending, the US might not stick around to support Ukraine in future conflicts.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/21/politics/zelensky-trump-nato-spending/index.html